5

OF THE DRUIDS. 101
©ne of the chief lords to advise him, a bard to sing
the praises of his ancestors, a chronicler to register
his own actions, a physician to take care of
his health, and a musician to intertain him. Whoever
was absent, these by law must be ever present,
and no fewer than the three controllers of
his family ; which decernvirate was the institution
of King Cormac. The same custom was taken
up by all the nobles, whereof each had about him
his Druid, chief vassal, bard, judge, physician,
and harper,
the four last having lands assign'd
them, which descended to their families, wherein
these professions were hereditary, as
marshal, and the rest of their officers.
were their
After the
introducing of Christianity, the Druid was succeeded
by a bishop or priest,
but the rest continu'd
on the antient foot, insomuch, that for a long
time after the English conquest, the judges, the
bards, physicians, and harpers, held such tenures in
Ireland. The O Duvegans were the hereditary
bards of the O Kellies, the O Clerys and the O Bro^
dins were also hereditary antiquaries : the O Shiels
and the O Canvans were such hereditary doctors,
the Maglanehys such hereditary judges,
of the rest;
place, are needless;
and so
for more examples, especially in this
it wou'd be but multiplying
of names, without ever making the subject clearer.
Only I must remark here, from the very nature
of things, no less than from facts, that (tho' Cesar
Jbe silent about it) there were civil judges in Gaule